Ten Days
by hilandmum
Summary: After Wilson's death, House seeks out another friend.


A Secret Santa story, written for Hughville who wanted:  
1. House seeking out Cameron after Wilson's death.  
2. Cameron being strong and understanding.  
3. Cameron taking House in to stay with her/helping House start over.

She didn't want:  
1. Any MENTION, SUGGESTION, PASSING REFERENCE to HUDDY/CHAMERON. DO, NOT. WANT. EVER.  
2. Cameron being married with a baby.  
3. House telling Cameron he is all wrong for her and will ruin her life. Ugh.

The more SEX the better, I say! ;)

**Ten Days**

House watched the plane take off from the Tulsa airport, heading east and carrying Wilson's body back to his family. He'd debated less than two minutes about going along, being there for the funeral, but decided he'd rather remember the good times of the past seven months as they'd ridden across the country, never staying in any one place more than a week.

It was only the past several days that had been a downer. Wilson had embraced life on the road. House had never seen him let himself go to that extent. And then his sickness decided he'd gotten in enough fun, that it was time to show who was boss.

Even then Wilson fought, and House along with him. But neither of them could prevail.

He took one last look at the plane as it disappeared above the clouds. "Bye, Wilson. It was fun while it lasted." He walked from the terminal to the short-term lot where his bike waited. He hadn't wanted to ride in the hearse to the airport, knowing he'd need a way to get back to the motel where they'd been staying.

As he rode the six miles, he thought for the first time about what he could do next. Returning to Princeton was out of the question. He'd burned those bridges long ago. The suite they'd been sharing at the motel seemed even emptier than it had when he'd been forced to admit Wilson to the hospital. They were paid up for another few days, but he couldn't stay. Too many memories, associations.

He was free now to continue traveling on his own. But after the months with Wilson, he couldn't imagine being alone again, not just yet. So where should he go? Maybe the answer was to get on his bike and ride, and wherever he ended up that night, find some female companionship.

With that thought in mind, he packed his belongings, checked once more in the closets, under the bed and in the bathroom, and walked over to the motel office to drop off the keys. Luckily, the chatty night manager wasn't in attendance. Instead, Claude, the day guy just nodded, took the keys, and said, "See ya."

House nodded, although he had no intention of ever coming back. He mounted his bike and took off down the Interstate, heading west. It was as good a direction as any. He should be able to make it to Amarillo by nightfall. It was one of those towns he'd always wanted to see.

The first section of Interstate was a toll road. "Exact change? You've got to be kidding!" He dug in his pockets to pull out the nickels and dimes to feed the toll booth before he could go on. He reached Oklahoma City by lunchtime, and stopped for a triple Whopper, fries and a very large coke. Wolfing down his food, he pulled out an old map, a bit tattered from folding and refolding. He'd used the GPS on his phone, but supplemented it with the old-fashioned paper guide.

He looked up as a young couple sat down at the next table. The woman's long blond hair, the way she looked at the man, reminded him of something, or rather someone. When he looked back at his map, the name of a city caught his eyes, Fort Worth. _Wasn't that the latest place they'd heard she was?_ It was only two hundred miles away, even closer than his original destination of Amarillo.

He smiled as he crushed his trash and stood to toss it into the receptacle. Grabbing his cane, he headed out to his bike with renewed purpose. Whatever happened, it would be good to see a familiar face. She might even welcome him after all this time.

XXXXX

House reached Fort Worth at 3:45 that afternoon. He'd never been to the town, but knew there were some great places to eat. Riding through the downtown area, the mixture of Spanish and cowboy flavor to the architecture was almost overwhelming.

There were several hospitals in the small city. Finding the one where she worked would be more difficult than finding where she lived, so he headed for the central library to see if he could rustle up a local phone book with the hope that she wasn't unlisted. He was in luck on both counts. With the address on Houston Street in hand, he continued on his way.

It was a two-story apartment building in a quiet residential neighborhood. He found her number but stood looking at the place. _Either she's home or she isn't. The only way to tell is to ring the bell. _He took a breath, climbed the two stairs, and entered. Her apartment was on the first floor. He reached her door and rang.

Hearing footsteps on the other side, he almost retreated, but she opened the door. The look on her face, a mixture of shock and pleasure, gave him the courage to stand his ground. "Bet you never expected to see me again."

"I'd never bet against you." She smirked with the familiar arms crossed in front of her slim figure, but she didn't clench.

He could see the warring thoughts in her eyes, so he forced the situation. "Aren't you going to ask me in?"

"Well, you're not a vampire, so I guess it'll be alright." She stood back, holding the door wide open as he walked past her. "Don't tell me you were in the neighborhood and decided to drop in."

"Something like that." He needed time to formulate what he was going to say, so he dropped his bombshell to throw her off her game. "Wilson's dead."

Any sign of happiness or playfulness left her face. Her body stiffened as she gasped. "I'm so sorry!" Her hand went to her mouth. She bit back a sob. "I'd heard he was ill, but..." She reached out a hand to grasp House's shoulder.

Seeing her reaction, tears he'd held in for the past few days filled House's eyes.

"Come sit down." Her voice was shaky. "When? Were you with him?"

She seemed to crumble as they sat down on her couch. House remembered that Cameron and Wilson had been friends, that they'd shared a concern for him for many years. It wasn't only her compassionate nature, she genuinely cared about both of them. "We were in Tulsa when it got bad." His voice was raspier than normal. Even he could tell. He cleared his throat. "I shipped him back to his family this morning."

"It had to have been hard."

He wasn't sure she meant the last week or that morning. It didn't really matter.

"I..." He cleared his throat again. "I needed to see a friendly face, someone who'd understand." He shook his head. "I shouldn't be bothering you with this." He started to rise.

"No. You came to the right place, House." Her smile was forced but encouraging. "When someone you care about dies, you need to mourn, to remember the good times you shared. I'd like to help you do that."

"You hate me."

"Did I say that?" She grimaced. "I hate some of the things you do, and the way you do them. But I could never hate you."

Deep down he knew that. If he didn't he wouldn't have come to Fort Worth.

He looked around the apartment, needing to change the subject. "So, are you happy here?"

She shrugged. "You know. I have a job, a routine, I guess you can call it a life. It's enough."

"Is it?" His eyes demanded the truth.

"It's good to not have any drama in my life. The only tension is due to my patients and I've learned to live with the fact that I can't save them all."

"Guess you had enough stress working for me to last a lifetime."

She chuckled. "I guess it wasn't all bad. So, what are you planning on doing now?"

He shrugged. "I've burned my bridges in New Jersey. There's nothing left for me there."

Her head bobbed. "I know that feeling. But I also know you. You can't exist for long without a puzzle to chew on, without something to occupy your brain."

"Something will show up. Meanwhile..."

"Meanwhile, you can stay here." She stood. "I have a spare room. I'm sure you won't mind my irregular hours."

"I can't." He shook his head.

"Why not? Let me take care of you for now."

"Cameron, are you sure?"

"No. But I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

House studied her. She might be the closest thing to a friend that he had left. And she could tolerate him to an extent that many people couldn't. "OK. Let's give it a week and then we'll see."

"Ten days and it's a deal."

He nodded.

XXXXX

The next day, when Cameron returned home from hospital, she found House had made himself at home in her kitchen. "I thought we'd order in." Her eyes were wide as she took in the three pots on the stove and the delicious aromas filling the room.

"And let all these pots and appliances go to waste? Nonsense." He looked her up and down. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. Go change into something comfortable." He managed to leer at her, but the apron over his t-shirt and jeans somehow spoiled the affect.

She grinned slyly at him. "OK."

He watched her leave through narrowed eyes. Time was she would have clenched or become defensive after a remark like that. He tried to shrug it off and went back to his cooking. And tasting. He took a spoonful of the sauce in the smallest pot. "Now, that's good!"

And then Cameron appeared in the kitchen doorway, wearing a red silk kimono. It covered her body, but he couldn't tell whether she was wearing anything underneath.

Once he could catch his breath, House said, "Sit and prepare yourself for the eating experience of a lifetime."

She chuckled but took a seat at the small kitchen table tucked into a corner of the room.

He made a show of filling her plate from each of the pots, pasta, meat sauce, and a single meatball. Then he placed the food in front of her. Belatedly he saw that there weren't any utensils.

"Top drawer on the right side of the sink." The scents reaching her nose were tantalizing.

He handed her a fork with a flourish, then hovered over her to watch her face as she took her first bite.

Her eyes closed and she licked her lips. "Wow!" Her eyes opened wide and she stared up at him. "What's in this?"

"Oh, a little of this and a little of that. Your spice collection isn't too extensive."

"I rarely cook anything." She stopped talking and went back to eating.

He sat across from her, eyes glued to her face.

She stopped long enough to ask, "Aren't you having any?"

"If I eat, I won't be able to watch you."

She rolled her eyes. "If you don't eat any now, I might eat it all up."

He couldn't have that, so he went to fill his own plate. "Sorry there's no wine."

"I'll get some tomorrow. Guess I'll have to stock up on a few things, won't I?"

He nodded, his mouth too full to answer.

Between bites she continued to chatter. "What else can you make? It's been a long time since I had anyone cook for me."

"Never thought I'd end up being someone's housefrau." He speared his meatball and almost succeeded in stuffing the entire thing inside his mouth.

Cameron snickered. "We can take turns, but trust me, you really don't want to do that. I can boil water for tea or instant soup and open a can, maybe even scramble an egg without cooking it too long or too little, but that's not where my talents lie."

His eyes roamed over her kimono. "I'll bet."

She sobered. "That's not what I meant!"

He sighed dramatically. "Guess a guy can't get any sympathy sex around here."

"Did you really expect to?"

"A man can hope." He stared at her.

"You had your chance with me, House, and you blew it." She stared back.

Their eyes held for a long minute and then they both went back to eating.

"So, were you going to look for a job or something?" Cameron waved her fork around.

"Why? You think I should?"

Her lips pursed in the familiar defensive way. House thought she'd have her arms crossed if she weren't sitting down and eating. "I was just making conversation."

He nodded. "I think I'll wait a few days, take a look around town. I've never been here."

"It's a nice place. I think you'll like it. It's not Austin but there's some good music and terrific restaurants."

XXXXX

The next week passed quickly. While Cameron was at work, House roamed the streets of Fort Worth. He found a music shop that occupied his time for several hours. They specialized in cowboy and western music but also carried a selection of blues and classic rock. Their stock of guitars was large and he tried out several, wishing he'd been able to take his own when he left Princeton.

Nearby, he found a Texas barbecue place and indulged in a pulled pork sandwich with fries, cole slaw and a local beer that proved to go well with the tangy flavors of his meal.

One day he drove down to the stockyard district, but the daily cattle drive didn't hold any interest for him. He didn't bother with the botanic gardens or the zoo.

In the evenings, they alternately went out to sample the restaurants in the city and stayed in with House cooking one amazing meal after another.

One week after House moved in, they sat in the living room, House with a beer and Cameron with an iced tea. "This has been one of the best weeks since I arrived here." She grinned at him. "I haven't had a chance to make many friends, certainly not anyone to enjoy the city with."

"All you've done all week was work and eat out."

"Or in."

He put his bottle down on the coffee table. "Well, I've got an idea for tomorrow night that I think you'll really enjoy."

"I'm not sure I want to guess."

"There's a tractor pull in town."

"What, is that like the monster trucks you took me to?"

He grinned. "You'll see."

XXXXX

The tractor pull was held south of town. They arrived at the venue just in time to get the last couple of tickets. When they made their way to their seats, they realized the reason they were so expensive and still available was that they were not far from the field.

"Ever seen a farm tractor before?" House had to shout to be heard above the deafening cheers that greeted the first machines to ride out onto the muddy field.

"Actually, I have, but usually they were working, pulling a plow or tiller or something. What are these pulling?"

"They pull weighted sledges. The engines of the tractors are modified to pull the weight."

The roar around them was intensified by the sounds of those engines, so they sat forward in their seats to watch. It was obvious that it took a lot of skill to drive and power to pull the weight through the mud. Within a short time, Cameron's eyes shone with excitement and enjoyment, making House smile and shake his head.

During the intermission, vendors came around selling hot dogs and drinks, just as they do at all sporting events. House bought a pair of hot dogs for himself, one for Cameron and a couple of beers.

Cameron bit into her dog. "Maybe not as good as your chicken was the other night, but this is good."

House glanced at her smiling face, and reached over a hand to wipe some mustard off her chin. At his touch, her smile grew and she stared into his eyes. His forefinger lingered, then traced her lower lip, but he was the first to break eye contact.

She pointedly looked away. "Oh, there's someone selling cotton candy!"

He rolled his eyes. "You want some because that's what we had at the Monster Truck rally."

"No, I want some because I love the stuff." She grinned at him and he couldn't say 'no'.

The second half of the meet was even more exciting and more fun than the first. "I haven't laughed this hard in a long time." House turned to Cameron and found her studying him with a big grin on her face.

Her cheeks reddened and she looked away. "I don't know why I've never gone to one of these before!"

"Maybe you never had anyone to go with."

She swallowed. "Maybe."

At one particularly exciting point, she gripped his arm. "Is he going to make it?"

He chuckled but wasn't sure if it was at the tractor's precarious situation or Cameron.

Their exhilaration didn't end when the show was over. They laughed their way to the car and through the long drive back to Cameron's place.

Once they were inside, House became more serious. "I don't thank people often, because very few do anything for me that warrants it. But you've done so much to help me through the last week that I have to say it. Cameron, thank you, for taking me in, for being my new best friend."

"House, I can't take Wilson's place." She reached up a hand to his cheek. "He was my friend, too, and you've helped me accept his passing." She pulled her hand away as if it was on fire. "Uh, I think I'll go to bed. I have to go to work tomorrow. It was a fun evening." She disappeared into her room before he could say another word.

XXXXX

The next day when she returned from the hospital, the apartment was quiet. "House?" There was no answer to her call and her chest tightened. But when she checked the guest room, his belongings were still there, strewn across the double bed, and her shoulders relaxed.

Fifteen minutes later he came through the door. Cameron rushed to him. "Where were you?" She didn't mean it to sound accusatory.

"I thought it was time I was meaningfully employed again."

"You should have said something. I think there are openings at Fort Worth General."

"There are, or were. I had an interview with the head of Nephrology. Turns out he's heard of me, even read some of the articles the team wrote." He grinned. "Including yours. He wasn't even aware that the Allison Cameron working there was the same one."

"More important, did you get the job?"

He nodded. "Yes. It'll be different, working for someone else. I'll probably even have to keep regular hours."

"No!" She feigned dismay but couldn't suppress the laughter bubbling up inside her. "You're staying."

"I guess, since I'm now working at the hospital, I'll have to." He watched her face. "I'll find my own place..."

"No!" She stifled her protest with her hand but not before he heard it.

House swallowed. "You want me to stay?"

"Well, I mean, why should you live alone when I've got room for you here?"

He wasn't sure what was happening. Her words from a week before replayed in his head. _"You had your chance with me, House, and you blew it." _Maybe he hadn't after all. He cupped her chin and his eyes bore into hers. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."

His lips found hers, pressing gently at first, but then more eagerly. The tip of his tongue parted her lips and hers met it. He didn't expect the rush he felt from that contact, but it wasn't enough. He ran the back of his hands along her neck to her shoulders, so soft and smooth. She sighed in response. The sigh became a moan as his fingers roamed lower, slipping into the V of her sweater.

Her fingers worked the buttons of his shirt, baring his chest so she could press her palms against it.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, with a different meaning.

She swallowed and looked into his blue eyes for courage. "Yes." It was a whisper.

But that was all the encouragement he needed. He tugged her sweater up, and she lifted her arms so he could take it off. She helped him out of his shirt, and he unhooked the lacy lavender bra.

"Do the panties match?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself." Her eyes were full of laughter and desire. She unbuttoned her slacks but let him pull down the zipper and slide them over her slim hips.

He smiled at the low-cut silky briefs. Definitely matched and barely covered his ultimate goal. "Maybe we should take this to the bedroom."

"Yours or mine?"

He hadn't seen hers and was curious. "Yours."

"But first, I think you're wearing too many clothes." Together they removed his jeans.

He didn't even think about his scar, and her eyes were focused on other things as they walked together through the door to her bedroom. The queen-sized bed was covered with a beige and white afghan. The rest of the furniture was a light-colored wood, fairly simple with touches of elegant detail. The carpet was a cocoa color, rich and warm.

Cameron started to fold the afghan but stopped when he laughed.

"Just toss it on the floor."

"My grandmother made it." She finished folding it and placed it on an armchair that sat near the window. When she turned back, House was already stretched out on the bed.

He reached out a hand for her and she took it, joining him on top of the blanket and sheets. He pulled her close, slipping a few fingers under the elastic of her panties, seeking the treasure they concealed.

Her response was all he'd hoped for. He'd fantasized about this in the past but never let himself imagine that it could really happen, and yet, here they were, skin against skin, feeling each other's heat. His heartbeat accelerated and hers matched it. Urges grew, needs he'd denied for too long.

Quickly they both removed the remaining layer of clothing. Just as quickly they joined. It felt so right, so perfect, as they soared together.

"Oh, House!" Cameron gasped as they reached the peak.

Hearing her voice saying his name at just that moment increased the intensity as it washed over him. He didn't even realize he was saying her name over and over. "Allison, Allison, Allison."


End file.
